Apparatus for cutting disks from sheets



May 26, 1925.

A. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS Filed April 10, 19224 Sheets-Sheeci nogutoz (/9. j 6

351 1115 Gum May 26, 1925.

1,538,942 A. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS Filed April10, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 vweutoz N W 8 n/ May 26, 1925.

1,538,942 A. JOHN-SON APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS FiledApril 10, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet s \flJol noon,

May 26, 1925. A. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS FiledApril 10, 1922' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gum/"02:

I v.7, Jim-son m1, 215 QHMW Patented May 26 1925.

UNITED STATES ARON JOHN-SON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS.

Application filed April 10, 1922. Serial No. 551,202.

To (1Z1 whom it may COQMCWL.

Be it known that I, Anon JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Cutting Disks from Sheets. of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a machine or ap paratus for cutting disks fromsheets and particularly for cutting disks from a sheetof cork to beutilized as the lining for receptacle closures. and it is the primaryobect of the invention to providean improved and simplified apparatus tocut disks from a sheet in a more expeditious and etlicient manner.

A further object of the invention resides in the manner of supportingthe disk cut ting mechanism in alinement with perforations in a work orsheet supporting table, to gether with ejecting means to eject the cutdisks from the cutters and deliver them through the perforations in thetable, whereby said cutting and ejecting mechanism may he swung up awayfrom. the table and toward the table with the cutting and ejectingmechanism in line with the perforations in the table withoutdisconnecting the same from its driving means, and to pro- *ide meansfor disconnecting the ejecting mechanism from the driving means topermit of sharpening the cutters when the same are swung away from thetable.

A further object of the invention relates to improved means forpresenting a sheet from which the disks are to he cut to the cutting'n'iechanisnr. and to provide improved means tofeed a sheet apredetermined distance transverse to the cutting mechanism alternatewith the cutting movement of the cutting mechanism and to strip thescrap material or sheet from the cutting mechanism after the disk ordisks have been cut trom the sheet.

A further object of the invention relates to means to connect the sheetfeeding means to and actuate the same from the cutting and ejectingmechanism, whereby said latter mechanismas it is swung away from thetable is automatically disconnected from the sheet feeding means andautomatically connected thereto when swung toward the table.

Another object of the invention relates to the providing in apparatus ofthis character of a plurality of series of cutting mechanism soconstructed and arranged whereby a series of disks may be simultaneouslycut from a series of strips or sheets of material.

Other objects and advantages will hereinatter appear.

Tn the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus for cutting disks fromsheets illustrating an embodiment of my invention, showing the parts infull lines inoperative disk cutting position and in dotted lines thedisk cutting mechanism as adjusted or swung away from the work or sheetsupporting table and in position where the cutters may be readilysharpened without removing the cutters and while operatively connectedto the cutter driving means.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 ofFigure 4 to show the arrangement of the cutter driving means, the cutterand ejector reciprocating means, and the means to feed the sheettransversely to the cutting mechanism.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional plan view to show the arrangement of theperforations .in the sheet supporting table and the mounting of thestripper plates thereon, as well. as

the actuating means for the sheet feeding means.

7 Figure 4': is a longitudinal sectional View to show the drivingconnections between the carriers for the cutters and a main drivingshaft, and the relation of the cutters to the sheet feeding means. i

Figure 4t is a detail view to show the mounting of the feed rollers ofthe sheet feeding means.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the cutting and ejectingmechanism showing the same in position to be actuated to cut a disk froma sheet.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the parts in theposition they assume when the disk has been cut from a sheet and theejecting of the cut disk from the cutter and the delivering thereofthrough a perforation in the table.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail View in side elevation of feed rolleractuating means.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a portion of one end of the frame uponwhich the disk cutting and ejecting mechanism is mounted.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a slide or carrier casing inwhich-thecutter carriers are mounted.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a por tion of the carrier for theplungers of the disk ejecting mechanism.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of one of the sheet feeding'rollers.

Figure 12 is a perspective View of the component parts disassembled ofmeans for intermittently actuating the sheet feeding rollers.

Figure 13 is a detail view in side elevation of the driving connectionbetween the sheet feeding means and disk cutter and ejector actuatingmeans.

Figure 14 is a. planview of a portion of a sheet from which the disksare cut to show the manner of successively cutting disks therefrom; and

Figure 15 is :1V plan view of a train of gearing for rotating the cuttercarriers.

Similar characters of reference designate lik parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawings.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings I providea table consisting of a top or plate 16 supported upon transversemembers of legs or standards 17,

the top being arranged with a series or plurality of series of groupedperforations 18, shown in the present instance as two in number, andrelative to which thesheet from which the disks are to be out are supported upon the table, said perforations being arranged and grouped sothat a series of disks may be simultaneously cut from a sheet and thesuccessive series of disks cut from the sheet with a minimum waste ofthe material. The strips or sheets of material 19 are guided upon thetable over the perforations by lateral guide members 20 consisting ofangle iron fixed upon a forwardly projecting apron. of the table. andbelow plates 21. 22 and 23 mounted upon the table in spaced relationthereto, the forward ends of the plates 21 being curled or curved upwardto facilitate the feeding of a sheet below the same. The plates 22 areprovided with perforations to register with the perforations in thetable and also serve as strip plates to strip the scrap material orsheet from the cutters after the disks have been cut therefrom and areremovably mounted upon the table.

The sheets are fed over the table by rollers arranged in pairs 24, 25,one pair forward and another pair in the rear of the perforations in thetable. The rollers 25 of each pair of feed rollers are longitudinallyfluted and journaled in fixed bearings, as shown at 26, to engage inopenings in the table with the periphery of the rollers substantiallyflush or extending slightly above the surface of the table. The rollers24 of each pair are journaled in blocks 27 slidably engaging inyokes 28fixed or arranged to project up from the table with the rollers 24 inparallel relation to the rollers 25 whereby said rollers 24 may havemovement toward and away from'the rollers 25, and are urged in adirection toward the rollers 25 by springs 29"confined between theroller journal blocks 27 and plates 30 secured to the top of the yokemembers 28. By this arrangement the rollers 24 will press upon the stockor sheet with sufficient force to cause the fluted surface of therollers 25 to firmly grip and positively feed the sheet or strip.

To intermittently feed the sheet or strip, pinions 31 are looselymounted on the shafts of the rollers 25, said pinions also beingarranged as one member of a jaw clutch 32 to co-operate with a clutchmember 82 fixed to the roller shaft-s, the pinions being normally urgedin a direction toward the clutch members 32 by springs 33 confinedbetween collars -34 pinned-to the roller shafts and the hubs of saidpinions (Figure 12). The pinions 31 are rotated to and fro by a toothedsector 35 fixed to one end of a shaft 36 journaled in a block STfixedupon a sup porting standard. ofthe table and having a. member 38 fixedto the opposite end which member is in the nature of a rocker or walkingbeam for engagement of means to be. hereinafter described to rock theshaft and thereby the sector. The sector is arranged to engage with thepinions i'nounted on both of the shafts of rollers 25. As the sector ismoved in one direction the pinions 31 will have arotative movement on.the roller shafts with the clutc-h'portion thereof riding over theclutch members 32, and as the pinions are rotated in reverse directionby the sector the clutch members thereof through the: action of thesprings will cause the clutch members to operatively engage and rotatethe rollers 25.

A series of disks are simultaneously cut from the sheet by tubularcutters removably mounted in tubular carriers mounted to have rotativeand longitudinal reciprocable movement, the cutter carriers beingarranged in series or groups of three. two series or groups beingillustrated. and the cutters also arranged to correspond with thearrangement of the perforations in the table. The cutters comprise tubes39 (Figures 5 and 6) arranged with a cutting edge at one end diameterengaging in perforations in a box-' like slide or casing 44 with ashoulder formed by the reduced portion of the carriers engaging withbosses projecting from the carrier 44, as shown at 45, (Figures 5 and G)and held against longitudinal movement and rotated by pinions 46 xed tothe carriers at the side of the slide 44 opposite to the cutters.

The cutter carrier supporting slide 44 is arranged at opposite ends withchannel members 47 (Figure 9) to extend parallel with the cuttercarriers and to slidably engage standards or uprights 48 fixed toparallel side members 49 of a frame connected by transverse members 50and pivotally supported to swing toward and away from the top of thetable, said frame in the present instance being mounted on a drive shaft51 engaging in perforations at the ends of the frame members 49, saidshaft being journaled upon the table standards 17. The standards 48 ofthe frame are so arranged upon the frame members 49, and the cuttercarriers arranged in the supporting slide 44 so that the cutters whenthe frame is swung toward the table will come in register with the tableperforations.

As stated, each of the cutter carriers has a pinion 46 connectedthereto, and in order to provide a compact arrangement one of saidpinions is of larger diameter than the pinions of the other cuttercarriers, as shown in Figure 15. The cutter carriers are rotated by apinion 52 meshing with the out er carricupinion 46 of larger diameter.The pinions 46, 52 are arranged within the slide 44, as clearly shown inFigures 2 and 4, and a cover 53 is releasably secured to said slidewhereby an enclosed housing is provided for said train of gearing. Thegear 52 is mounted on a shaft 53 to rotate therewith and have slidingmovement therein, said shaft being rotatably and slidably mounted in thecutter carrier support 44 and the cover 53 thereof for a purpose to behereinafter described. The cutter carrier driving gear is driven fromthe main drive shaft 51 by an intermediate shaft 54 journaled inbearings carried by the transverse frame members 50, as shown at inFigure 4, a bevel pinion 56 on said shaft meshing with a bevel gear 57fixed on the drive shaft 51, and a pinion 58 at the other end ofsaidshaft meshing with a pinion 59 fixed to the shaft 53 of the cuttercarrier driving gear 52, the pinion 59 having an annular recess 60 inthe hub thereof for the engagement of the bifurcated end of a support 61secured to a transverse frame member 50 to hold the shaft 53 againstlongitudinal movement. By this arrangen'ient of the driving coir nectionof the cutter carriers with the main drive shaft it will be obvious thatas the frame of the cutter carrier support is swung away from the table,to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1, and again swung toposition above the table that the cutter carriers will be at all timesoperatively connected to the drive shaft 51. Owing to the nature of thematerial, cork, from which the disks are cut the cutters become dulledquickly, and by this a1"angement of swing ing the cutter carriersupporting frame up to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1 thecutters may be readily sharpened without removing them from the cuttercarriers.

The cutter carrier support 44 is normally urged in. a direction to movethe cutters away from the work or sheet supporting table by springs 62engaging in recessed portions 63 of the frame standards 48 with one endof the springs engaging the bot tom of the recesses while the oppositeends are engaged by studs 64 secured in laterally projecting portions ofbrackets 65 secured *ithin a channel portion of the members 47 of thecutter carrier supports 44, as shown in Figures 2 and 9. These springsurge the cutter carrier support in an upward direction with rollers 66carried by the brackets 65 into engagement with cams G7 fixed to a shaft68 journaled in the upper ends of the frame standards 48. The cam shaft68 is operatively connected to the main drive shaft 51. in a suitablemanner, said connection being shown as comprising a sprocket chain 69passing around a sprocket wheel 70 on shaft 51. and a sprocket wheel 71ro-- tatable on the shaft 68, the hub of said latter sprocket wheelbeing arranged as one member 72 of a clutch to cooperate with a clutchmember '73 mounted on shaft (38 to rotate therewith and have slidingmovement thereon, the clutch member 73 being moved into and out ofoperative connection with the clutch member 72 by a lever 74 pivotallycarried by a bracket fixed to one of the frame standards 48, said leverbeing arranged with a hand grip at one end and the opposite endbifurcated and engaging an annular recess in the clutch member It willbe obvious that by manipulating the lever 74 the clutch member 73 may bethrown into and out of operative connection with the clutch 72 andthereby connecting and disconnecting the cam shaft with the drive shaft51.

To eject the cut disks from the cutters and deliver the same through theperforations in the table ejectors are provided, comprising plungers 7 5(Figures 1, 2,4, 5 and 6) having an enlarged portion slidably engagingin the cutters 39 and a reduced portion to slidably engage in the cuttercarriers and pro jecting beyond the carriers with the reduced andshouldered ends of the plungers engag ing in perforations in a carrierin the form of a plate 76 (Figure 10): and secured therein by nuts 77threaded on to the plungers. The plunger carrying plate has a flangeextending around the edges thereof to strengthen the same and has arecess 79 in the opposite ends for the slidab'le engagement of thechannel members of the cutter carrier sup port s it whereby the plungercarrier is slidably mounted thereon, these recesses having two depthswhereby to reduce the contacting surface thereof with the member 47 andre ducing friction. The plungers are adapted to be reciprocated inproper timed sequence with the reciprocation of the cutters to eject thecut disk through a perforation in the table, as shown at 78 in Figure 6.

The plunger carrier 76 is normally urged in an upward direction bysprings 80 connected at one end to the plunger carrier and at theopposite ends to cross bars 81 fixed to the top of the frame standards48, with rollers 83 rotatably mounted in the bifurcation of bearingsfixed to the top of the plunger carrier in engagement with cams 83 fixedon the cam shaft 68 and moved by said cams against the tension of thespring in a direction toward the table perforations.

The stock or sheet 19 from which the disks are cut is fed transverse tothe cutters 39 during the receding movement of the cutters and plungersthrough the sector 35 meshing with the feed roller pinions 31, saidsector being rocked or actuated from the cam shaft 8 by a crank rod 84pivotally connected at one end to a stud 85 projecting from andeccentrically fixed in a disk or head 86 fixed to the end of the camshaft, the opposite end of the rod being pivotally mounted on a stud 87fixed in and projecting fro-m one end of a rocker 88 correspondingsubstantially in form to the rocker 3S pivotally supported upon a stud89 fixed in one of the frame standards 3 .8, pins carried by one of therockers 25S, 88 engaging in openings in the other rocker and with thewalls of said openings, as shown at 90, to impart the rocking movementof the rocker S8 transmitted thereto by the cam shaft through rod 84Lthrough the other rocker 38 and thereby rock the sector 35. thisactuating connection of the sector as the frame carrying disk cuttingand ejecting means is swung away from the table the sector actuatingmeans will be disconnected, and as said frame is again swung to positionabove the table with the cutters in cutting position the sectoractuating means will be automatically connected to the sector.

In operation with the mechanism shown in full line position in Figure 1the drive shaft is driven from a suitable source of power, as by a beltpassing, around a pulley 91, rotating the cutter carriers and moving thesame toward the work or sheet on the table by the cams 67 and cuttingdisks from the sheets. After the disks are cut from the sheet theyengage within thecutters when the plungers are movedin a directionoutward from the cutters by the cams S ejecting the cut disks from thecutters and through the perforations in the table, as shown in Figure 6.As the cutters and plungers rece'd-e from the table through the actionof the springs 62, 80 the guide plates 22 strip the scrap sheet from thecutters. During the cutting movement of the cutters the sector 35' isrocked in a direction to retate the feed roller pinions 31 in adirection to cause the clutch members 32, 32 to rice over each otherwithout imparting movement to the feed rollers. However, during thereceding movement of the cutters and plungers and after the scrap sheethas been stripped from the cutters the sector is rocked to rotate thefeed roller pinion-s inadirection to cause the clutch members tocooperate and couple the pinions to the feed rollers thereby rotatingthe same and feeding the sheet a predetermined distance transverse tothe cutters. The initial disks will be cut from a sheet, as shown at ain. full lines in Figure l i. After the disks a have been cut from thesheet the sheet is fed a distance equal to the distance indicz'ited bythe dotted lines (Z and during the next cutting operation the disksindicated by dotted lines 6 will be cut, and by the successive operationthe disks indicated by 0 will be cut. By this arrangement of the cuttersit will be obvious that after the first disks are cut from the sheetpracticall the entireniaterial of the sheet will be util-- ized with aminimum amount of waste or scrap, practically the only waste being thematerial between the disks at the lateral portion of a sheet between thefirst and second cutting operations.

Should it be desired to swing the frame carrying the cutter and ejectingmeans up away from the table for the purpose of getting access to thefeeding means all that is necessary is to swing the frame upward withoutfirst disconnecting any of the operating mechanism, and should it bedesired to sharpen the cutters the cam shaft is disconnected from thedrive shaftto prevent reciprocation of the cutters and pl-ungers, andthis may be done previous to or after the frame has been swung up, andafter the cutters have been sharpened all that is necessary is to againswing the frame to po- III sition above the table when the operation ofcutting disks may be proceeded with without the necessity of making anyadjustment or connections of the actuating means other than theconnecting of thecam shaft to the drive shaft.

While I have illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention,it will be obvious that variations and changes may be made in thestructure without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus for cutting disks from sheets, a perforated, sheetsupporting table; tubular cutters; a pivoted frame to rotatably andreciprocably carry the cutters in alinement with the perforations in thetable and yieldingly urged in one direction, said frame being adapted tobe swung with the cutters toward and away from the table; a shaftjourna-led in the frame, carrying cams operative to move the cuttercarrying means in the opposite direction; means to feed the sheettransverse to the cutters and during the receding movement thereofcomprising rollers arranged in opposed pairs, one pair forward and theother pair rearward of the cutters; atoothed sector; means to rock thesector during the reciprocating movement of the cutters; pinions looseon the shaft of one of the feed rollers of each pair of rollers meshingwith said sector; means operative to connect said pinions to the rollershaft when the sector is rocked in one direction and to disconnect thesame therefrom when the sector is rocked in reverse direction, and meanscarried by the frame and operative from thecam shaft to rock the sectorduring the receding movement of the cutters, said means being adapted tobe moved out of and into operative relation with the sector as the frameis moved away from and toward the table.

2. In apparatus for cutting disks from sheets, a perforated, sheetsupporting table; means in alinement with the perforations in the tableto cut disks from a sheet on the table and eject the cut disks throughthe perforations; means to actuate said cutting and ejecting means;means to feed the sheet a predetermined distance relative to the cuttingmeans; a drive shaft opera tively connected to the actuating means forthe cutting and ejecting means; means to operatively connect the sheetfeeding means with the means to actuate the ejecting means; said cuttingand ejecting means and the actuating means therefor being pivotallymounted upon the table and adapted to be moved away from and toward thetable without disconnecting the same from the drive shaft, and todisconnect the actuating means for the ejecting means from the sheetfeeding means when moved away from the table and connect the sametherewith when moved toward the table.

In apparatus for cuttingdisks from sheets, a sheet supporting tablehaving a series of perforations; rotatable cutter carriers supported inalinement with the per-i forations in thetable and reciprocable towardand away from the table; reciprocable ejector-s slidably engaging in thecutter supports and cutters; means to rotate the cutter carriers; meansto reciprocate the cutter carriers and ejectors; means to feed a sheet apredetermined distance relative to the cutter carriers during thereceding movement of the latter; and means to operatively connect thesheet feeding means with the cutter carrier and ejector reciprocatingmeans; said cutter carrying and ejecting means being pivotally mountedupon the table to have movement away from and toward the table, and saidoperative connection between the cutter carrier and ejectorreciprocating means and sheet feed ing means being arranged to beconnected and disconnected as the cutter carrier and jector means aremoved toward and away from the table.

l. In apparatus for cutting disks from sheets, a perforated, sheetsupporting table; a frame supported to be swung toward and away from thetop of the table; tubular cutter carriers, rotatably and slidablysupported by the frame; slidable plungers to engage in the cuttercarriers; a main driving shaft; a driving connection including a trainof gearing between the driving shaft and cutter carriers; a cam shaftjournaled in the frame driven from the main drive shaft to impartsliding movement to the cutter carriers and plungers; said frame be ingadapted to be swung away from and toward'the table without disconnectingthe cutter carriers and cam shaft from the main driving shaft; and meansto disconnect the cam shaft from the main driving shaft for the purposespecified.

5. In apparatus for cutting disks from sheets, a perforated, sheetsupporting table; a frame supported to be swung toward and away from thetop of the table; tubular cutter carriers rotatably and slidablysupported by the frame; slidable plungers to engage in the cuttercarriers; a main driving shaft, a driving connection including a trainof gearing between the driving shaft and cutter carriers; a cam shaftjournaled in the frame driven from the main. drive shaft to impartsliding movement to the cutter carriers and plungers; sheet feedingrollers; means to actuate said rollers to feed a sheet a predetermineddistance during the receding movement of the cutter carriers: and anoperative connection between said feed rollers and cam shaft; said framebeing adapted to be swung away from and toward -119 table withbutdisconnecting fihe cuttdr tobe disconnected when the frame is swung awayfrmn the table and to be operutively connected to said feed rolleractuatmg means when the frame is swung towzucl the table.

Signed at Brooklyn, in the mmnty 0k 10 Kings, city and State of NewYork, this 6th day of April, 1922.

ARON JOHNSON.

